Don Cockburn
Born13 March 1930
Dublin, Ireland
Died (aged 87)
Dublin, Ireland
EducationSynge Street CBS, Dublin[1]
OccupationNewsreader
Years active1958–1992
Notable credit(s)RTÉ News, Nine O'Clock News
SpouseMarie Scully
Children2

Donald Cockburn (13 March 1930 – 4 September 2017) was an Irish journalist, presenter and newsreader. He is best known as a long-serving newsreader for Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ), who anchored the broadcaster's main evening television news programmes during over thirty years of service.

Cockburn was educated at Synge Street CBS,[2] later studying Russian and Spanish at Trinity College Dublin at night after receiving a dispensation from Archbishop John Charles McQuaid to do so.[2]

He originally joined RTÉ as a part-time announcer in 1958, and was made a full-time employee in 1972.[3] He was formerly employed in Dublin Corporation as head of wages in the engineering department.[4]

He retired twenty years later on 15 December 1992,[5] having served as a newsreader for many years.[6] His was known for cycling to RTÉ's Montrose Studios every day.[5]

He died on 4 September 2017.[7][8]

References

  1. ^ "Synge Street: Who's Who". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Shy newsreader who was one of Ireland's best-known faces". The Irish Times. Retrieved 12 December 2020.
  3. ^ "7 RTÉ newsreaders we've known and loved". TheJournal.ie. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  4. ^ "Full-time". Irish Press. 17 October 1972. p. 5.
  5. ^ a b "RTÉ: Veteran Broadcaster Retires". EUScreen. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  6. ^ "RTÉ newsreader Don Cockburn". RTÉ Stills Library. RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 12 July 2013.
  7. ^ "Death Notice Of Donald (Don) COCKBURN, Mount Merrion, Dublin, Ireland". rip.ie. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
  8. ^ "Former RTÉ newscaster Don Cockburn dies". RTE.ie. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.


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